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Letter to the Editor: Pesticides and the elderly

By MARY ANDERSON St. Paul
Minn.

Editor,
I recently researched housing for my parents, both 88 years old, and discovered pesticides are used inside apartment buildings. They spray the halls, and elsewhere, with pesticides. I know pesticides are used inside nursing homes, and other senior citizen facilities, which is why I am trying very hard to avoid my parents living in these types of places. I am aghast that these poisons are used around anyone, especially the elderly.
Our family discovered the hard way that pesticides are poisonous to people�we used them, and were poisoned by them. We then discovered being poisoned by pesticides made us sensitive or allergic to cleaning compounds, disinfectants, and other everyday products; the Environmental Protection Agency classifies disinfectants and sanitizers as pesticides, which make them extra toxic to people.
Using these poisons around the elderly is a total travesty. The elderly need extra care, and exposing them to poisons is unconscionable. Pesticides hurt people, and they should absolutely not be allowed around our most vulnerable–the elderly, children, and people with health problems. Actually, healthy people should not be exposed to them either. I was healthy once until we used pesticides.
I pray you will understand, and take action in whatever way you can to stop this practice.

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